The Stairway Fund is a private foundation established in 2005 and based in Chicago, Illinois. Located at 225 W Wacker Drive, Suite 2150, the organization operates as an independent foundation with a 501(c)(3) designation (EIN: 30-0286949).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.2M
+41.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$597K
-8.5% YoY
Grant Count
69
+9.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-16.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Stairway Fund primarily provides general operating support and annual gifts to various organizations. Its funding priorities include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Arts and creative organizations
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with the following characteristics:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Stairway Fund's grantmaking focuses primarily on organizations in New York, Connecticut, and Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $3,214,223
- Total Revenues: $1,608,735
- Total Expenses: $551,435
- Number of Employees: 0
Funding Sources: The foundation received an endowment grant of $1,333,333 from the Irving Harris Foundation in 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,214,223 | $2,266,623 | $2,845,178 |
| Revenue | $1,608,735 | $146,670 | $428,024 |
| Expenses | $551,435 | $514,619 | $990,747 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $599,170 | $658,634 | $688,845 |
| Net Investment Income | $219,112 | $130,947 | $155,260 |
| Distributable Amount | $162,450 | $118,855 | $148,300 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
242 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUDREY H MEYER | SECRETARY / DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DANIEL H MEYER | PRESIDENT / DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL MCQUINN | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| HALLIE LOUISE MEYER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAUREN K MACDONALD | TREASURER | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Telephone: 312-621-0590
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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